| INTERFACE AND CONTROL
SYSTEMS, INC. SIGNS $2.3M FUSE CONTRACT
Columbia, MD, May 5, 1997 -- Interface and Control Systems, Inc. (ICS) announced today that they have signed contract modification with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland for the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) Satellite Control Center (SCC). Under the $2.3M contract, ICS will integrate a COTS-based solution for the day-to-day management of the Satellite and its payload. Interface & Control Systems will be using its product Spacecraft Command Language (SCL) as the core element of the highly automated control center. The SCL product is a rule-based Expert System developed by ICS which is used to provide real-time command, control and monitoring for Satellite Control Centers, Testsets, and on-board satellite control systems. The SCL system has been selected as a key component of the restructured Johns Hopkins University FUSE mission under sponsorship of NASA/Goddard Space. FUSE will be an Earth orbiting far ultraviolet (FUV) spectroscopy mission to measure faint sources throughout our galaxy and at extragalactic distances. The mission will utilize a dedicated spacecraft carrying an instrument designed to obtain high resolution spectral measurements in the FUV range. The FUSE satellite will be launched in September 1998 and its science operations will last 36 months after an initial 45 day in-orbit checkout and science commissioning period. Under a separate contract, Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is developing the FUSE Instrument controller which is using an embedded systems version of the SCL product. APL is also using the Windows NT version of SCL as the Testset control system for the payload during development and I&T. The ICS Program Manager said "This marks a significant milestone for our company and our SCL product. The FUSE mission is using the SCL product in an end-to-end manner to achieve significant cost savings. SCL is being used on the satellite, on the Testset under NT, and in the control center on UNIX platforms. In spite of multiple hardware architectures, we are able to transition knowledge from one phase of development to another in a coordinated and efficient flow. The use of SCL across these mission segments allowed for the integration of the flight and ground development efforts in an unprecedented manner" he added. He also highlighted the mission's progressive management approach "which allowed us to build upon the SCL architecture, and the success of the BMDO Clementine mission, to significantly influence the technical approach for this mission, and lead to a successful PI class mission for NASA." Interface and Control Systems has offices in Columbia, MD and Melbourne, FL. Contact information:
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